Optical communications networks utilize various optical data transmission standards using different coding schemes. Such standards include, for example, SONET, G.709 FEC, and FF64 FEC. In the operation of optical switches within such optical communications networks, it is desirable to pre-identify the type of data to be switched.
The classification of a high speed data signal generally involves performing a bit-level signal analysis. The clock and data signal is recovered and a bit-wise analysis of the data stream is performed. Additionally, an identification tone may be applied to a signal at its transmission source and the tone recovered and any information transferred therein. Recovery of high-speed data is a complex process as well as being expensive. Use of the identification tone requires that a transmitter be specifically engineered to add this functionality to the communications network. This solution is not viable when working with transmitters from multiple suppliers.
Therefore, a need exits for a system for classifying a high-speed data signal in an optical communications network which is inexpensive, easy to implement and uses information from existing transmission standards with no special signal conditioning.